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Although you might think that symptoms of any food allergies in a dog would result in an upset stomach, in fact in the majority of cases, the signs show in their skin and coat instead.

Allergies of all kinds are not easy to diagnose but your vet will start to become suspicious if two or more areas of the skin become sore. Commonly they will look for; red, itchy, waxy or infected ears; sore feet, especially between the toes; inflamed and irritated skin on the belly, groin or neck and scale or scabs in the coat, especially on their body.

Some dogs will have gastrointestinal symptoms as well or instead of skin changes but this is less common. However, if they do occur, they may display vomiting, diarrhea or flatulence.

It is challenging to identify if a dog has a food sensitivity, because the symptoms, especially in the coat, are exactly the same as other allergies. Also, the disease can be complicated by parasitic infestations, fleas or scabies mites are common, and bacterial or yeast infections.

Initially, to rule out other causes, your vet is likely to take samples of the skin and hair, advise treatment for parasites and may well prescribe antibiotic and anti fungal tablets or washes.

Environmental allergies are often diagnosed by skin or blood tests but these are not reliable for food allergies. The best way to discover if dietary sensitivities are present are to place the dog on an exclusion diet for at least 6 weeks and see if their symptoms resolve. If they do, your vet will help you plan a diet where you introduce different foods one by one over several weeks and monitor your dogs response.

I do hope this helps you. If you are concerned about your dog and that they may have food allergy issues, speak to your local veterinarian. | 02.16.16 @ 16:34

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